Treasure Hunt

[Sapphira Blacklord]

The Durmstrang Girl was bored and looking for something to do. She'd just come from lunch In the Great Hall and now wondered around, seeing people that she knew but not wanting to hang out with any of them. She was bored, but didn't know what she wabted to do, all she knew was who she wanted to do whatever it was with. The Durmstrang students had just come back from Holidays, and it had been so long since she'd seen her best friend Aleister Rainsworth, and today she just really want to talk to him. She wondered and wondered, not seeing any trace of him anywhere. Sapphira he befriended him nearly immediately when she'd met him, and soon after they'd run out into the rain and started jumping around like hooligans. Over the Holidays she'd missed Aleister, not that she'd tell him that because he would no doubt go off on a rant about his awesomeness. Sapphira laughed at just the thought of the goofy wild boy. Ever after that day they had hung out and done crazy funny things together, and that was something that Sapphira always looked forward too. Just being with the silly boy made her feel happy. The 13 year old laughed at the memory of the day that they'd first met, when Aleister had found her by herself in a corridor like she was now. He was good for her, he pulled her out of her shell and made her smile.

As she continued to look for him, a girl from her year came up to her and insisted on chatting about their Charms class and a list of many other things. After a while another girl joined them and then there was a whole group of girls all talking over the top of Sapphira. She couldn't very well slip away, that would be rude and Sa[[hira wasn't a rude or unfriendly person, so she stayed with group, throwing in an occasional 'Yes' and nods, and tried to keep up with the constant stream of topics. But her mind was starting to feel dizzy and she desperately want to break free from the group, but she had to wait. "Excuse me," She broke in when the chatter had cease for a moment. "I don't mean to interrupt but have any of you seen Aleister? I was looking for him." At their blank faces she knew that none of them had seen him, and excusing herself again, she snuck off to look again. It was like a treasure hunt really, and he was hidden well. As she continued on through the empty corridors in search by herself she could just imagine what he would say if her saw her by herself. 'I knew you were a loner!' He'd say, or something along those lines anyway. Sapphira laughed and continued to search for her missing friend.

 

[Aleister Rainsworth]

The holiday was over and Aleister found himself wandering around the same corridors that had been his playground since he started attending the school. The holiday had been fun. He got to hang out with his older sister and his overly reluctant younger brother. His other younger siblings were too young to put up with his rough plays and crazy schemes and they would immediately run off to their mother with their tears streaked faced and and overly dramatic sob. He was able to talk with his grandmother too, trying to catch up with what had happened while he was away. He also talked a lot and told her stories about his new found friends, about the adventures that they had done, and about the school works that he was glad to have left behind. He enjoyed, but he did miss his school too. He was a free soul, but in his house, despite his constant attempts of doing things the way he wanted to, there's always his mother watching him and scolding him every single time that he had spent in the same room with her. He loved his mother, but she could be overbearing and over demanding at times. And thus, he was glad that the holiday was over and that he could return to his playground again, his school. He was looking forward to more adventures, minus the school works and class that he had to attend. The thirteen year old twirled his wand and sneezed. What was that belief when someone sneezed out of nowhere again? Was it because someone was thinking about him? He laughed. It must be his mother again, worrying about the troubles that her son would put himself into again. He stopped as he turned a corner and placed his wand in his bag. The hard thing about having a wand that was as long as he had was that it was hard to hide it. Not that he meant to hide. He was proud of it, after all, not everyone owns a wand like his. But alas, it was also pretty hard to control, making him have to exert more effort in practicing the spells that they were taught in class. Or perhaps it wasn't because of the want but because of his own incompetency? He shrugged. He was awesome, maybe not that smart, but he's awesome.

The boy strolled down the corridor, skipping like a kid as he turned one corner after another. He hadn't seen any of his friends since he came back. He was exaggerating of course. He caught a glimpse of them every now and then but hadn't really got the chance to pull them into one of his silly ideas again. He especially missed Sapphira. Their meeting was accidental. He even thought that she was a no fun kid before. But he was wrong. She was as crazy as he was and he loved hanging around her. He wasn't able to send her letters during the holiday because his mother insisted that he study as his grades weren't meeting her expectations. She even made a melodramatic speech about his younger brother having more promise than he did. He didn't really care though. He's still awesome no matter what. He rounded another corner when he caught sight of the person that he had been meaning to see the whole day. She was wandering by herself again. He grinned. It was like that rainy day once again, but this time, they were no longer strangers. He skipped towards her, his bag bouncing on his back. As he neared her back, he slung one arm around her shoulder and reached up to mess her hair. "I found you!" he exclaimed, poking her on the side with his other arm. "Introduce me to your friends, I didn't know that you were hanging out with Ms. Shadow over here," he pointed at her shadow then to his, "I'll also introduce you to mine, but he wouldn't talk, he's shy. I rather that you talk to the awesome Aleister here instead." His arm was still resting on her shoulder while the other was making animated movements as he talked. "How was your holiday Sapp? Wait, you still know me, don't you?" He took a step back and did an exaggerated surprised look, one hand on his chest while the other clutching the strap of his bag. He really missed this girl and all the fun that he had with her.​

 

[Sapphira Blacklord]

As she searched for Aleister, Sapphira couldn't help but let her mind wonder to her holidays. She spent then at the Manor with Jace and Alleara, spending most of her time reading or just staring out of a far off window. It had been raining for most of the days, and she lived so far away from anyone that she hadn't seen any of her friends, but something truly strange had happened. As the Durmstrang girl had been making her way slowly to the lower floors of the Manor, she'd court a glimpse of her Godfather and Guardian. Lucian Vendalwood was a strange, forlorn man, and had escaped to the highest tower of his house when his wife had died seventeen years ago, and he rarely ever came down. Sapphira knew that there were whispers around the wizarding world that he'd lost his mind with grief when his wife had died giving birth, and she knew that some people though he was into the Dark Arts. Sapphira somehow couldn't bring herself to believe the rumours, just something about him made her think twice before deciding that he was crazy, she just didn't know what. The thirteen year old managed to follow after her Godfather without being noticed, and all the while as they neared the highest point of the Manor, her heart had beat like nothing else. What did he do up here all by himself? She'd wondered, watching her step on the eerily silent staircase which lead up and up. What was he hiding? Sapphira had stopped just outside the door of the room which Lucian had walked straight into, and stared at her Godfather. The room was quite large, with one window in the far wall which overlooked the forest. Her Godfather had stood by that window, staring out at nothing, and she had stood when she was and stared at him. When she'd gone to turn back down the stairs, her heart had completely stopped when she'd heard Lucian Vendalwood's voice speak from over her shoulder. "Please do not follow me again, Sapphira." The startled thirteen year old had turned back only to see that Lucian hadn't even turned, and still stood staring out the window with his hands clasped behind his back. She was surprised that he even knew her name, it was so strange to here him say it, she shivered. After that Lucian hadn't seen her Godfather come back down from the highest room, and she hadn't dared go back up there.

Now, she was brought flooding back to the empty corridor in Durmstrang by someone flinging their arm over her shoulders. She looked up, surprised, to she her friend Aleister grinning down at her, and smiled. He'd found her, just like he had on that first rainy day, but now they weren't strangers. She smirked and listened as his went off on a rant, and remembered how much he seemed to love to talk. It was good, her not talking much, he seemed to fill in the empty space with his loud goofy voice. Sapphira looked down at their shadows as he gestured to them, and then referred to his 'Awesome self'. She laughed, the wonderful thing that sometimes only Aleister could make her do, and smirked at him. "Oh no, who are you again?" She asked him curiously, playing a game with him that she wasn't sure he'd court onto yet. "Aren't you that strange boy who like to talk, like, all the time?" She laughed with Aleister, sensing that things were as they should be. Surely nothing could go wrong today. Not if they were together, and doing something silly.

 

[Aleister Rainsworth]

Aleister faked a hurt expression as the girl denied knowing him. He brought his hands to his face and pushed his palms in his eyes, letting some tears fall as he looked at the girl with a mock pained look. His lips were pulled down into a frown and he made a dramatic turn, spinning around to turn his back on the girl. He rested one hand on the wall for support as prepared with his other hand clutching his chest like he couldn't breath. "You hurt me Sapp. Here I am, thinking about you all holiday and about the things we can do as soon as we get back here and there you are proclaiming that you have forgotten this awesome guy's name-" he started. He was making an over the top impersonation of his mother when she tried to make him feel guilty about some of the things that he had done. "I'm crying. See? I'm shedding some precious tears!" He exclaimed and suddenly, he turned around again to face the girl. True to his statement, there were indeed tears forming in his eyes and there was a pained expression on his face. He tried to maintain the same expression but to no avail, and soon, he was laughing again. "That was hard. Merlin, my eyes hurt!" He wiped the corner of his eyes with the back of his hand and grinned at the girl again. "What do you think about my acting just then? But you're mean Sapp, how can you forget this amazing kid's name. It's Aleister... Aleister. I'll repeat it again and again if you need me to." And he started chanting his name, reaching out to tousle the girl's hair once again.

The thirteen year old then held the girl's hand and pulled her as he began to walk. He had no other things to do for the day and now that he had found her, maybe he could talk her into one of his silly plans again. "But being strange is great-" he said, referring back to her statement from earlier. He didn't have any problem with being called weird or odd, it just meant that he was different, that he was more exciting and interesting than most of people. It was actually a great honor. He rather be called strange than to just blend in the crowd. Aleister was a kid who loved to make a statement wherever he goes. He was flashy and loud and though it annoys some people off, he just continued to do as he pleased. "And I don't talk all the time Sapp, I don't talk when I sleep. Or maybe I do. Maybe you should watch me sleep and tell if I do sleep talk." He chuckled before he pulled her into a run towards the Great Hall. He hadn't eaten anything yet and his stomach was already complaining. He didn't know whether the girl had eaten already, but if she already did, then they could just catch up on the recent happenings in their lives while he stuffed his mouth full of food. But then he stopped so abruptly that he had almost lost his balance. Lunch was already over. He gave the girl a sheepish smile and brought his hand to rub his nape, "Do you have some food there, or do you know how to cook?"

sorry if this post is pretty lame will do better ​

<i></i>

 

[Sapphira Blacklord]

Sapphira watched, her eyebrows raised and her smirk in firm place as the boy in front of her started acting out as scene as if she had just killed him, fake tears and everything, his hand clutching the wall and his back turned to her. Sapphira tried hard not to laugh, but Aleister seemed to have that affect on her, with his wild ideas and crazy, dramatic acting. She smirked as he bragged on and on, pulling a pained expression into his voice, and she just waited to hear the refrence to his 'Awesomeness' that he was sure to throw in somewhere, but laughed as he said how he'd been thinking of her. "Oh of course you have, how could you not think of this awesomeness?" She laughed, grinning wildly as he spun around and questioned his acting skills, before grapping her hand and leading her off somewhere, probably to do some sort of crazy foolish thing. Soon they burst into a run, or a half-run-half-being-dragged, and Sapphira realised that they were heading for the Great Hall. She laughed, thinking that Aleister was probably after food, but knowing that he wouldn't find any seeming that when she'd left everything had just started being cleared up. "Oh, I am not mean!" She said to his as they continued to run. "I'm probably nicer than you are! After all I'm not the one who throws peoples' clothes into the lake!" She laughed, imaging Aleister doing just that, just doing it for fun, but suddenly worried whether her clothes would get thrown in how that they were friends. No, he wouldn't do that to her. Hopefully.

They skidded to a stop at the entrance to the Great Hall, and she watched as Aleister's face turned down, and it was like she could hear his stomach growling. He peaked up at her, rubbing the nape of his neck shyly, and she gulped, suddenly scared of what he was planning. Sapphira had come to realise that Aleister only ever looked shy for three reasons, one, he had done something wrong, two, he felt uncomfortable, and three, he was going to ask some absurd question that would probably have the end result of devastation. And she had a strong feeling that he hadn't done anything wrong or was uncomfortable. She was right. Her eyes widen as he asked if she cooked, and instantly she stepped back. "Oh Merlin No! I'm a terrible cook! I'll end up burning the whole place to the ground!" She put her hands up level with her shoulders and surrendered for nothing, just prayed that he wouldn't find some way to con her into cooking, like throwing her clothes in the lake.

It was fine! haha

 

[Aleister Rainsworth]

The thirteen year old didn't know what it was with Sapphira that made him like her as a person. Of course, it was fairly easy for him to get fond of people, he was a social butterfly for Merlin's sake, but she was different. While not exactly judgmental, Aleister was pretty good at reading other people, though he was indeed a little too insensitive to take a step back in case he was treading into their personal bubbles. When he first saw the girl, he had thought that she was a no fun kid who preferred to be by herself, and so he bothered not to approach her despite them being on the same year and same class. But his impression of her was wrong, and now, there they were, hanging out with each other, enjoying each other's company and doing absurd and ridiculous stuff together. She was like a sister to him, someone who enjoyed doing the same things that he did, or at least, someone who tolerates his craziness and hyperactive behavior. Added to that, they also seemed to have the same penchant for proclaiming their awesomeness to the world. Though it was definitely more extreme in his part. His eyes grew wide as he heard the girl's accusation, but instead of feeling guilty for he had done, he just laughed it off. He did remember that day. He was too bored and because boredom and Aleister could never get along, he proceeded to look for something that could entertain him. It was just Andrei's luck that his clothes were in the right place at the right time that the thirteen year old had decided to make use of it to have fun. It wasn't like he intentionally threw the clothes into the lake, or maybe he did. He couldn't remember the exact details but all he did remember was that it was. He did remember that he was rather fond of the kid too, minus the scarf hitting part. "You should try it sometime. It was fun. Actually we should do it." He laughed, remembering the day once again. Though he had been determined to do it again, he had never been able to. He had been too caught up in trying to save his grade or else his mother would drag him back to their house and trying to scheme and plan some pranks on unsuspecting students. He should really try it again.

Aleister sulked as Sapphira exclaimed that she was a terrible cook. He was hungry and he really wanted to eat. He pushed his lips forward into a pout like a little kid whose toy had been taken away from him or a kid who had been denied some candies. "But I'm hungry!" he complained, sticking his tongue out and putting his hands on his hips. He then looked at the girl straight in the eyes and approached her, his face serious, or at least, as serious as it could be. He rested both hands on the girl's shoulders then he nodded, like he had finally came up with a decision. "That won't do Sapp," he began, shaking his head then in mock disapproval then he clicked his tongue like he was finding out the right words to say even though he wasn't really good at it. "I, the awesome - no - the great Aleister Rainsworth will teach you how to cook." he tapped the girl's shoulder and gave her a smile. He was not exactly telling the truth though. Yes he was great, or at least he claimed, but he was never a great cook nor was he even an average one. If Sapphira could burn the whole school down to the ground with his cooking skills, then his cooking skills could possibly burn the whole school and all the neighboring villages down to ashes.​

<i></i>

 

[Sapphira Blacklord]

The Durmstrang girl often relished in the times when she was right, when she could wipe the smirks off people's faces when she was correct and of course they were wrong. But now she dreaded the very idea of being right. Aleister was looking at her with excitement and mischief in his eyes, nodding his head and proclaiming that her would teach her to cook, and Sapphira stood there shaking her head and begging him not to make her. "No, no,no! Please, no, I'm a horrid cook, I burn popcorn for Merlin's sake!" She shuddered, remembering that one time when she had singed off a piece of her hair while trying to save the failed attempt at movie popcorn. She wouldn't do it again, especially not at Durmstrang, Especially not with Aleister, who was bound to be bluffing and really was as hopeless as she was. At that moment, as Aleister dragged her off to wherever he planned to cook, she wished with immense hope and longing that they would just run off and do something, anything, else. At this stage she would even volunteer to throw anyone's clothes in the lake rather than cook. Sapphira clung to one of the stone walls, holding it tightly as Aleister tried to pull her forward. "No, Aleister, no! We'll end up killing someone, and I don't know about you, but I really don't want that person to be me!" The girl squealed, clinging to the wall as if for dear life.

Aleister ended up pulling her off the wall where she had been clinging like a cat, and now dragged her down the hall, away from any walls that she could cling to, and tried to calm her down. She'd gone completely stiff and walked as if she were a coatrack. Aleister had no idea of what happened whenever she tried to cook, something terrible always occurred, a fire, an explosion, something terrible. Sapphira had a feeling deep in the pit of her stomach, right in the centre, that this was a bad idea, a terribly bad idea indeed.

 

[Aleister Rainsworth]

Aleister couldn't tell whether the girl was being serious or not. What was so scary about cooking? Sure, he had caused some explosions or two in the past, sure, he had never been able to make a fully edible meal, but that didn't mean that it was that scary. It could actually be fun. What could be more fun that doing things for the first time, or though not for the first time, doing things that he wasn't good at? "Come on Sapp! Let's go!" he pulled at her. He was taller and stronger, but that didn't made the act any less difficult. The girl seemed to be really determined to not let go of the wall that she was clinging to as if her life depended on it. "No one's going to die. Or maybe I will die if I don't get myself something to eat right now. Let's go!" he whined like a kid, stomping his foot for a bit before pulling at girl harder. His stomach was rumbling, and the discomfort showed in his face. "I'll end up eating you! Or the wall, or the stones, or the grass, I'll go crazy Sapp!" He was exaggerating of course, but being overly dramatic and doing things over the top was what made Aleister Aleister. Finally, after much effort, he was able to pull the girl off the wall and drag her down the wall. He beamed, satisfied that he was able to get the girl to go with him. He was humming a soft tune when he turned his head at his companion. She had gone completely stiff, which made him laugh. Was she really that afraid of cooking? "We will not that die Sapp, maybe a couple of burns and a couple of explosions would happen, the worst thing would be us being put into a detention or expelled. Or not. Maybe the worst thing would be that we'd burn the whole school down. But nah, that won't happen" He shrugged like what he were talking about were normal things that happen around him everyday.

The thirteen year old reached for the girl's hand and dragged her again. They were half-walking half-running when he saw one of his classmates sitting by the sill, with a sandwich on his hand. He smirked, letting go of the girl's hand and approaching the said classmate. Maybe they didn't need to cook after all. Sapphira seemed to be too scared of the idea of going down the kitchen and preparing something for themselves, so perhaps, he could just give in to her wishes for once. Now that he was actually thinking more clearly and that he had another option for him to get something to fill his stomach, wasting his time trying to prepare a meal that would not be edible anyway didn't seem to be that attractive anymore. He casually skipped to the oblivious boy by the sill and slung his arm around his shoulder. "Think I can have that? Merlin, I'm going to die from hunger" he said, coupled with a hand motioning to his stomach, and right on time, his stomach made that weird sound again. His classmate who looked surprise with his sudden appearance absentmindedly handed him the sandwich and the thirteen year old slap him in the back as a way of saying thank you. He then walked over to where Sapphira was and showed her the sandwich with a triumphant grin on his face. "There, I don't think we have to cook anymore" he then took a bite off the sandwich and casually offered it to the girl too. "Unless you still wanted to cook of course. What do you think?"​

 

[Sapphira Blacklord]

The terrible feeling in the Durmstrang girl's stomach grew and grew with each step towards the kitchen they took, until she felt terribly sick. Aleister seemed to find this quite amusing, as he laugh and continued to pull her closer and closer to the kitchen. She didn't blame him for not understanding her fear, she didn't quite understand it herself, just something about cooking with hot things that were capable of lighting on fire frightened her and turned her spin to stone. Merlin knew it was strange, that she was so unlike other girls who relished in baking cookies and cupcakes. She admitted that she was more than happy to eat the little treats, but when it came to cooking them she turned the offer down flat. Terrible scenes were playing through her mind, like a movie, of burning Durmstang to the ground by trying to cook a meal. She didn't see the point, whatever they cooked (If the castle was still in one piece) wouldn't be eatable. Not by any normal person anyway, but by the sounds Aleister's stomach was making she doubted that it was normal, more like savage. Than Aleister went off talking again, trying to make her feel better, probably after threatening to eat her, but it didn't work. With each word he said her ears rang. Detention, burning the school down, expulsion. At that word she could have fainted. The teenager couldn't even think of what would happen to her if she was expelled, her godfather would probably be furious, plus she would feel as if she's let her parents down, adding to that that she probably wouldn't see Aleister again cause she doubted that she would still have a life afterwards. She gulped, and it seemed to echo.

Suddenly Aleister stopped pulling her, and for a second she though he was going to say that he'd seen another of his hats fly across the lawn, but instead he was looking at an aloft boy who was eating a sandwich. Before she could even think of what Aleister might do, whether It was to keep dragging her to the kitchen to make food or run up and steal the sandwich right out of the boy's hand, he walked over and asked the boy for it. Looking stunned the boy gave it to him without question, and Aleister came back grinning, taking a massive hungry bite from it. Sapphira stared in bewildment. He'd just walked up and asked for it, just like that, it was incredible. Aleister offered her the sandwich, but she refused, unlike some people she'd had breakfast or lunch or whatever, and wasn't hungry. Then Aleister told her that no cooking would be necessary, and she almost jumped in the air with joy, her stomach unknotting. "Yes! Oh, wait, not to the cooking," She laughed. "No way to that!" She began to skip ahead, knowing that Aleister would follow behind with his sandwich, and they could continue on with their day, without cooking. But she was sure that she'd make him go to the next meal.

 

[Aleister Rainsworth]

The sandwich that his classmate 'had' given to him was not enough to satisfy Alesiter's hunger. he thought that it would be, but as soon as he took his last bite off the sandwich, his stomach began to make that weird sound again. He stared blankly at his hand, as if willing his treat to return. If he knew that it would be gone just like that, then he would have eaten it in a much slower pace. But alas, he was too hungry to do just that. Sapphira was already walking a few feet away from where he was. And from her reaction earlier, he knew that she was dead set on her desire not to attempt cooking. He too was dead set on getting himself something to fill his stomach and he'd go to great lengths to do that. He ran towards the girl and casually threw his arms around her shoulder again, whining like a little kid as he did so. "Sapp, I'm still hungry. Like really really hungry!" He rested his chin on her shoulder and began to whimper like a puppy, chanting the word hungry again and again under his breath.

"I'm dying Sapph, look, the colors are already draining from my cheeks, I'm as pale as a ghost!" he exclaimed gesturing to his face. He then made an over the top spin and put the back of his hand on his forehead, as if testing whether he was developing a fever or not. "Food, I need food." He began to move towards the girl again, but before he had gotten close to where he was, his sharp eyes had once again spotted another student with a sandwich standing by a group of younger students. He didn't know why people kept on eating sandwiches that day, but he couldn't be bothered to think about that anymore. The only thing thing that was on his mind was a room full of food. He began to take a step towards the much older student, but he soon recognized who it was. While Aleister didn't really hate anyone, he didn't really like this person. The boy was a huge bully and though Aleister had never been his victim, he didn't like boy. He had always been looking for ways to make this student see that he wasn't in any way superior that them. He took some calculated steps before he bolted into a run and as soon as he reached the boy, he snatched the sandwich and ran back to where Sapphira was. He knew what would happen next. The older would get extremely mad and would probably beat them into a pulp or at least, hex them should he finally realize what Aleister had just done. "Come on Sapp, run!" He shouted as he pulled the girl by her hand. They need to find a way to escape from the older boy or at least, a place to hide in.​

 

[Sapphira Blacklord]

Sapphira's happiness and relief at not having to cook was short lived, as she swore she could hear Aleister's gut rumbling still. She didn't dare turn, hoping that he wouldn't bring up his hunger again, and felt her stomach flip. She didn't like cook, there were other thing she preferred much more, like read and drawing. Sapphira loved drawing, she could spend hours drawing anything that came to mind, dragons, roses, hearts, animals, anything, but cooking was something she winced over. She didn't exactly know what it was that she didn't like, the fire, the hot pots and pans, but it was the same with beaches. There were four major things in the world that Sapphira Blacklord disliked, cooking, beaches, cowards, and most of all, liars. the good thing about Aleister was that he didn't seem to be any of those things, seeming as he could be cooking or a beach, but the boy didn't strike Sapphira as a coward or a liar. She gulped loudly as she felt Aleister slide his arm over her shoulders, telling her that he was hungry. Two thing could happen from that point, 1) Aleister would insist on them cooking, and Sapphira probably wasn't going to deny him much longer, or 2) He would steal another sandwich and most likely get them into trouble. Neither of those choses seemed appealing to Sapphira. Using the nickname that she liked and a pout, Aleister continued to swoon about his hunger, and Sapphira smirked. She shook her head, sliding her hand down over her face, and pushed her hair back behind her ears, wrinkling her freckled nose. "Aleister...You just ate a sandwich, how can you still be hungry?" He didn't exactly answer her, simply shrugged his shoulder and stared past her to a group of students. Sapphira followed his gaze and saw...a boy holding a sandwich in his hand. Dread filled her stomach. The boy was older, and seeming much bigger than Aleister, but she had no doubt that Aleister really cared about that, not when his stomach was growling like an animal. And before she could stop him, Aleister sauntered up to the boy, pausing slightly, and grabbed the sandwich out of his hand, running back and yelling at her to run.

Her heart pounding in her chest, Sapphira ran, her toes tingling, but not being the fastest running they didn't get to far before the boy grabbed Sapphira by the arm and spun her to face his. Sapphira lost her foot, and seeing this the older boy smirked and pushed her back, causing her to stumble and fall back on the cold hard ground. Sapphira landed on her bottom, blinking up at the sneering boy in shock, and noted that Aleister had stopped running and now stared at Sapphira with his mouth agap. It took a moment for realisation to dawn upon Sapphira, and then it hit her that this older boy, their 'Elder' had just pushed her to the ground for not reason. She wonder what would happen, if Aleister would do anything. And she wondered, her anger rising, what she would do.

 

[Aleister Rainsworth]

Aleister didn't really intend for things to end up the way it did. He was hungry, yes, and he didn't really like the older student, no one did, but still, he didn't really intend to involve Sapphira in this dangerous situation that he had gotten himself into. Normally, he would have fun while running away from those who wanted to capture him. He was a pretty fast runner so it was fairly easy for him to escape, but it seemed like he could not say the same about Sapphira. Heart pounding in his chest, he continued to run, not bothering to turn around and look whether the older student was still following them. He need not look anyway, as the older did the courtesy of reminding them of his presence by shouting curses after them. "Sapp, run, run, or we'll die." He yelled, praying that somehow, he'd be able to get them out of the mess that he had just created for them. He ran and ran, but before he could turn a corner, he heard a yelp behind him and reluctantly, he stopped and turned around. What he saw made his heart pound so fast that he was quite surprised that he had not fainted on the spot. Sapphira was on the ground with the boy towering over her. He had a murderous expression on his face. Aleister stared for a second, unable to move, still trying to process what had just happened before him. The older boy then took some steps forward before he stopped right before the girl, pulling her by her arm, his grip tight that even without checking, Aleister was sure that it would definitely leave a mark.

"Hey, don't you think that's too much?," he said, trying not to show how nervous he was. He's not good with conflicts, and with the difference in height and even in build, he was sure sure that he would not stand a chance should the boy initiate a physical fight. He had to figure out a way to save Sapphira and escape or else he would surely not be able to live with the guilt. He walked towards the boy and pulled the girl behind him, so he was between her and the older student. He had to apologize to her later, that is, if can leave that situation alive. "Stay cool, seriously-" He tried to look for a way to divert the boy's attention away from them. Anything will do. He tried to think, but all he could imagine were worst case scenarios. And then it hit him. It wasn't a smart idea, but then again, he wasn't that smart. His expertise didn't lie in thinking, it was in in tricking other people. So he took some step backward, dropping the serious expression and replacing it with a grin, and putting one hand on his hip with the other rubbing the back of his head. "How about this, as a replacement for that sandwich, you can have... her? I mean,you're not mad about the sandwich, are you? You must like her! You should have said so earlier instead of grabbing her. There's no need for violence here" The boy gave him a confused look. He probably didn't make any sense, after all, who in their right mind would link the boy's rough actions to a sign of affection? But then again, Aleister was rarely normal. "I'll leave, alright?" He didn't look at the girl, fearing that should he do so, he won't be able to keep up the act. The older boy still wore that confused look on his face. It seemed like all he could boast about him was his strength, he seemed pretty slow in anything else. Aleister began to walk away, not looking at Sapphira, while still making sure that the boy had no clue about what he was doing. After he was already a feet feet away from the two, he immediately turned around and dashed towards the taller boy, tackling him to the ground, putting all his weight so he'd be able to restrict the older's movements. It was a relief that he was able to catch the boy off guard or else, he wasn't sure whether he'd be able to take him down. "Sapp, Run!" His voiced echoed in the hall and before he look to see whether the girl did as he said, he felt the boy lift him by the shoulder and push him away from him. He rolled to his side and struggled to stand. He really wished that they could do something to save themselves as he couldn't possibly fight this boy in a hand-to-hand combat. With a wand, they might still stand a chance, but he was sure that the boy knew more spells than they did. ​

 

[Sapphira Blacklord]

It all happened quite fast, and poor Sapphira was still sitting on the ground in shock. Had this really just pushed her? Over a sandwich for Merlin's sake! Sapphira shook her head and blinked wildly. It was times like this that she wished she'd just stayed in bed, at least in bed she couldn't find herself in strange situations like this. Stomach rolling, she silently watched as the boy leant down and grabbed her arm tightly, so tight she felt it like a sting of a bee and knew that it would leave a mark. She seriously thought about whacking this boy in the nose, but then she was sure that she would regret it, seeming as he was much taller and stronger and could probably throw her small frame against a wall without much effort. Sapphira hated people like this, yes taking his sandwich was wrong of Aleister, but brutally hurting someone was wrong and uncalled for. It was disgusting in Sapphira's eyes. She glanced over her shoulder to see Aleister moving slowly towards them, his face faltering, and her heart rolled. Aleister didn't know what to do, for the first time Aleister had nothing to say. Now she knew that they were doomed. Suddenly Aleister just between herself and the boy, talking loudly, his voice echoing through the halls. Sapphira listened to what he was saying, dread leaking into her stomach and confusion fuzzing her head. "What? Aleister what are you doing?" She was starting to panic as Aleister began to walk away. He wouldn't just leave her there, surely. The older boy was looking confused, as much as Sapphira felt. When suddenly Aleister came charging back and tackled the boy, screaming at her to run. She was frozen to the spot, watching as Aleister wrestled with the older boy.

Her heart was pumping so loud, what was even happening! Sapphira suddenly seemed to snap back into focus and realised that if she didn't do something Aleister was going to get beaten to a pulp, and that was something that she didn't want. She screamed as the older boy pushed Aleister back by the shoulder, looking wicked, and rummaged through her mind. She remembered that she had her wand, but she knew that the older boy had way more experience and she didn't have the slightest clue of what spell to use. So running up to the two boy on the ground, the older boy now leaning over Aleister, with her wand in hand, Sapphira kicked the boy in the side. He jerked off Aleister, groaning and clutching his side, as Sapphira helped Aleister up. The boy yelled agrily and started getting to his feet, giving Sapphira enough time to scream at Aleister. "What do we do?!"

 

[Aleister Rainsworth]

If their lives weren't on the line, Aleister would have jumped and cheered for Sapphira for the brave act that she had done. Rarely did he ever see a girl kick a much taller and stronger man before. It was actually quite fascinating and entertaining, but there was no time to be amaze, as soon, said boy was already struggling to get on his feet. If he was angry before, Aleister didn't know how to describe the expression that took over the older student's face now. It looked murderous to say the least, and though he was happy-go-lucky and generally optimistic, he knew that they were doomed should they be caught. The same thought seemed to be running on the Sapphira's mind, if her scream was any indication of her panic. The thirteen year old barely had time to think before he grabbed the girl's hand, his heart racing a thousand miles per minute, as he bolted into a run. He knew that he shouldn't be pulling the girl like this, but he had no choice, he would apologize to her later.

He could hear the older students echoing in his ears, and his heart began to race even faster. They had to find a place where they can hide. Surely, the older student would forgot about this incident later, wouldn't he? If he wouldn't, then they simply had to avoid him like plague. The important thing at the moment was to get away, they could worry about the future once they were already safe. He turned corner after corner until they gained a safe distance away from the older boy. But he couldn't be too sure, and by luck, he saw a place where they could pass time while the older student was angrily looking for them. It was the caretaker's closet. It was big enough to accommodate both of them though they had to deal with the darkness. But they had no choice, do they? He looked at the girl, finally letting go of the hand that he didn't know he was still holding. "Sapp, you're not afraid of the dark, are you?," he asked, grinning despite the dangerous situation that they were in. He then pointed towards the closet, trying to get his point across. He could have pulled her in, but he didn't wanted to hear her opinion, after all, it was because of his impulsive attitude that they found themselves running away from such a dangerous enemy.​

 

[Sapphira Blacklord]

Sapphira could tell just by looking at his face that Aleister was amazed by her actions, and so was she to say, by she knew that Aleister would have been hurt had she not done what was called for. Which was kicking the boy. And now adrenaline was coursing through her veins faster than a river or stream. Aleister didn't know what to do, and neither did she, so they did the only thing that any 13 years old would. they ran, as fast as they could they ran. Corner after corner, hall after hall, until everything just seemed to blur when they finally stopped, and Aleister looked around wildly.

Sapphira blinked, not really knowing why he had suddenly asked her is she was afraid of the dark, until he pointed to a dark closet. She didn't much care about the dark, as far as she was concerned there were much greater things to be afraid of, so she simply ran inside, pulling him with her instead of answering. once inside with the door closed, she exhaled, instantly feeling safer, and slid to the floor and pulled her knees up. This would be a little while, she thought, but it didn't matter as long as she was with her friend.

Its terrible!!! I know it is!! Sorry!!!!

 

[Aleister Rainsworth]

It was odd, but the nervousness that he felt earlier was soon replaced by excitement. Aleister couldn't really understand it, but perhaps it was because of the sudden rush and feeling of safety and the knowledge that they had just avoided a possible danger. He couldn't really see anything while inside the closet, and though it could accommodate both of them, there was no room for any further movement. They were squeezed together, shoulder to shoulder, and he swore he could hear the girl's heartbeat too. His heart was still racing from too much running and it was only then when he was already sitting, did he felt the pain from the older student's rough actions earlier. He moved to raise his arm and touch his side, but the sudden movement caused him to slide a little, that he accidentally bumped the girl's head with his own. He flinched before he let out a silent chuckle, which soon turned into laughter.

"Sorry," he said, barely able to contain his laughs, though he already cupped his own mouth with his hand. Any more sound and he was sure that they'd be caught. He couldn't get his wand from his bag as it was squeezed on his back, he had to get out in order to get it, but he couldn't risk being seen. He still valued his life, thank you. Their positions were uncomfortable, but he could live with it, if it meant that he wouldn't have any broken bones or swollen eyes at the end of the day. "Are you, hurt?" he whispered, leaning a little to the side, one hand at the side of his mouth as if he was covering it. He has a naturally loud voice so he had to put extra effort in lowering his volume. He reached out, and tapped what he assumed to be her knees, at least, he thought it was as he could barely see anything. "That was fun, wasn't it?" He was a boy who couldn't live in silence, and should he not say anything, he would get restless. He leaned a little and pushed the door a little, letting some light enter and peeking to look for any sign of the older student. Seeing none, he leaned back again, his head against the wall behind him. He didn't know long they had to hide, but perhaps, it wouldn't be too bad, after all, it wasn't like he was alone.​

 

[Sapphira Blacklord]

Her heart was still racing, and Sapphira noticed that her palms were sweaty when she clamped them over her mouth to stifle a yawn. Sometimes she got tired like this when she'd had a big day and hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and with Aleister she always seemed to have a big day. It was fun most times, but some times it was dangerous and absolutely exhausting. The storage closet was dark, and so Sapphira could barely see anything at all, but she sensed it when Aleister, who'd been sitting next to her shoulder to shoulder, raised his arm and somehow slid down the wall, Sapphira had no idea how that managed to happen but with Aleister she'd learnt to not ask question. She winced as his head collided with her. "Ouch! Aleister what the-" She started to say, but snapped her hands over her mouth to keep the roll of scolding from coming out of her mouth. Her frown only deepened when she realised he was laughing. "Oh, yeah thanks Aleister, that headbutt was just what I needed along with my heart hammering out of my chest and almost being killed, thank you so much." She said sarcastically, but couldn't stop her laughter along with him. "Stop, or we'll get court and there is no way that we will live, he'll probably eat us alive! did you see his face when you took his sandwich? And no, I'm not hurt. Are you okay?"

She smiled in that darkness, just picturing the events that had just occurred. The world of wizards was a strange place, she thought absently. She hoped that at least Aleister wasn't hungry anymore. Sapphira jumped slightly as she felt him tap her knee, and bumped her shoulder against his lightly. "Oh yes, that was my perfect idea of fun, absolutely! I am ready to burst I had so much fun!" Sarcasm again, but this was much lighter and she knew that Aleister knew she was joking. She laughed quietly, and winced as he opened the door a bit and let some light in, they'd been sitting in the dark for a while and her eyes had adjusted. They would probably be in there for a while, seeming as Sapphira had no plans of dying today, and so she shimmered back to the wall and leaned back, her head touching the coldness of it. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to go around stealing sandwiches, Aleister? Are you seriously crazy-wait, I think I might have-Ah!" She said as she pulled a small packet of some sort of chip thingys from her bag. It seemed as if all of this hassle was for nothing. She tossed the packet to Aleister. "Here, I completely forgot I had them, not next time your hungry eat those instead of stealing someone's. Next time it's likely to be a professor's that you snatch." She shook her head slightly, and laughed.

 

[Aleister Rainsworth]

Now that they were already out of danger, though only temporary, Aleister couldn't stop himself from being overly active again. He had to constantly shift in his seat and stretch his hands as far as he could with the limited space that they were in. He was constantly moving that bumping against his 'closet mate' was inevitable, but the thirteen year old who was already used to being overly touchy with almost everyone, wasn't really bothered by it. The word 'awkward' was missing in the thirteen year old's vocabulary. He fought back a laugh at the girl's reply and jokingly bump his head against hers again. He was giggling like a little kid, his shoulder shaking in rhythm with his silent laughs. "He looked hideous, was he even a student?," he joked, and if they weren't in such a small space, he probably would be imitating the older student's actions earlier. "I'll live. A small bruise like this cannot defeat the mighty Aleister you know!" His side did hurt, but it didn't matter, it would heal anyway, and he was in no mood to go get himself checked in the infirmary.

Aleister caught the sarcasm in the girl's voice, and he decided to play along with it, bumping her should with his just like she did. "If it is so much fun, then perhaps we should do it again. I have another perfect target in mind." If not for the darkness, the girl would have seen the huge grin etched on his face, his eyes were actually twinkling with excitement, and to add to his statement, he made a move of reaching out for the door again, as if ready to push it and get out of their confinement. "Just one word Sapp, I am itching to do that again," he said albeit a little too enthusiastically, jokingly pushing the door before pulling it close again. He could hear no footsteps from the outside, so he deemed that it wouldn't hurt if he played around a little. He only withdrew his hand when Sapphira started with her lecture, though instead of looking guilty, he had a pleased and satisfied look on his face, his eyes had a crazed glint in it, and he was grinning widely. "You're the first," he shrugged, tapping his feet on the wooden board below them. He was starting to get restless. He needed to move. He only stopped his unnecessary movements to catch whatever it was that Sapphira had tossed towards him. He couldn't see much, so he had to shake it to confirm what was inside. "This is edible, isn't it?" he then opened the packet and stuffed some chips into his mouth. He was a messy eater, and he had been told a thousand times by his mother to eat properly. With their financial status, he was brought up to be a fine gentleman, but his mother's lectures would always enter one ear and leave the other. "You're a genius Sapp. That's actually a great idea!" ​

 

[Sapphira Blacklord]

Sapphira laughed, she couldn't help it, Aleister was just so funny and good at making her laugh, even in the danger they were in. Well, she didn't really think of it much as danger, but still, the strange circumstance that they had been dropped in, being chased by a thug and all. "Who even knows! He didn't look like a student, way to tall, he was like 7 feet tall!" She laughed, and clapped her hands over her mouth again. She was sure now that they were safe, but still had the terrible curling feeling in her stomach any time she thought of getting out of the closet. At least in the dark they were safe. "Ah, well that's good." She told him, glad that he was alright, and giggled at his mention of his 'mightiness'. Aleister had a very high ego, that was a certain thing. He was probably at least a little sore, especially from the fight he had with the boy, but she was sure that he just couldn't be bothered going to the infirmary, and as long as he wasn't spitting out blood and dying she was alright with that, she knew that he was stronger than a few bruises.

Her mouth snapped open as he talked about doing it again, and as she saw movement cross her eyes, even in the dark, she reached out and grabbed his hand as he opened the door, only to close it again. She put his hand down and away from the door, feeling him shake with laughter. "Aleister, don't you dare! If you even look at someone else's sandwich or food I will kill you!" She laughed with him, knocking off her little joke, but she was positive that she didn't want to be running from anyone else after revenge, and so she would keep Aleister busy in here for as long as she thought was safe, though she could tell that he was getting fidgety. She stared at him, or what she hoped was him in the darkness, as she heard him tear open the packet she gave him and stuff his face. "Well, great. I had been hoping that you would save that till the next time you were hungry, but I guess not now." She told him and laughed, only imaging his expression. "If you're bored do you want to play a little game or something? Maybe I could try and tell you a story?" She told him, hoping that he would take the chance to let her relax a little bit. She wasn't very good at telling stories, but there were a few that her mother had told her that she thought Aleister might like, and really all she could think to do was simple rest for a moment.